Multi-time world champion Katsunari Takayama retires!
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Over the weekend the legendary Katsunari Takayama (35-9-0-1, 12) [高山 勝成] announced, at last, that he was retiring, at the age of 41, following one of the most unique careers in the sport which had seen him legitimately being a trailblazer and crafting a legacy that had seen him go a route unlike any other Japanese fighter.
On Sunday Takayama announced his retirement, at a celebration event which was being held following his December which for the IBO Minimumweight title, a win that saw him become the first Japanese fighter to win an IBO belt, and the first Japanese fighter to win WBC, WBA, WBO, IBF and IBO titles.
Takayama, who debuted in October 2000, aged 16, made his first meaningful mark on the Japanese scene in 2001, when he won Rookie of the Year. In 2003 he challenged for the Japanese Light Flyweight, suffering his first loss and one of only 2 stoppage losses. In 2005 he claimed the WBC title, beating Isaac Bustos, and whilst his reign was short, losing in his first defense, he showed he belonged at the top level. In 2006 he took the unusual step of moving back to domestic level, winning the Japanese title, before taking the WBA Interim title in November, losing it by controversial decision to Yutaka Niida. He attempted to regain the WBA title in 2009, losing to the sensational Roman Gonzalez before beginning his hunt of legacy, as he gave up his JBC license and chased the IBF title around the globe fighting in an eliminator in South Africa, and two world title fights in South Africa, before an eliminator in the Philippines and finally winning the IBF title in Mexico in 2013.
With the IBF title around his waist Takayama made 2 defenses before looking to add the WBO title, losing in a hard fought, and thrilling, unification bout with Francisco Rodriguez Jr in Mexico. When Rodriguez moved up Takayama would get a shot at both the IBF and WBO titles, and stop Go Odaira for both at the very end of 2014. After making 2 defenses of the IBF title, he lost the belt in controversial fashion to Jose Argumedo before reclaiming the WBO belt in 2016 with a win over Riku Kano, who himself has just recently retired, who at the time was looking to become the youngest ever Japanese world champion.
Following his win over Kano we saw Takayama walk away from professional boxing as he attempted to qualify for the Tokyo Olympics in 2020, battling the Japanese Boxing Federation to allow professional fighters to return to amateur boxing. He failed in his Olympic ambitions, and made a return to the professional ranks, going 4-1 in his return, with those 5 bouts marking two notable achievements. In his second bout of his comeback he made his US debut, losing to Elwin Soto in 2021, before winning the IBO title in December 2024, in what has turned out to be his final professional bout.
On Sunday Takayama announced his retirement, at a celebration event which was being held following his December which for the IBO Minimumweight title, a win that saw him become the first Japanese fighter to win an IBO belt, and the first Japanese fighter to win WBC, WBA, WBO, IBF and IBO titles.
Takayama, who debuted in October 2000, aged 16, made his first meaningful mark on the Japanese scene in 2001, when he won Rookie of the Year. In 2003 he challenged for the Japanese Light Flyweight, suffering his first loss and one of only 2 stoppage losses. In 2005 he claimed the WBC title, beating Isaac Bustos, and whilst his reign was short, losing in his first defense, he showed he belonged at the top level. In 2006 he took the unusual step of moving back to domestic level, winning the Japanese title, before taking the WBA Interim title in November, losing it by controversial decision to Yutaka Niida. He attempted to regain the WBA title in 2009, losing to the sensational Roman Gonzalez before beginning his hunt of legacy, as he gave up his JBC license and chased the IBF title around the globe fighting in an eliminator in South Africa, and two world title fights in South Africa, before an eliminator in the Philippines and finally winning the IBF title in Mexico in 2013.
With the IBF title around his waist Takayama made 2 defenses before looking to add the WBO title, losing in a hard fought, and thrilling, unification bout with Francisco Rodriguez Jr in Mexico. When Rodriguez moved up Takayama would get a shot at both the IBF and WBO titles, and stop Go Odaira for both at the very end of 2014. After making 2 defenses of the IBF title, he lost the belt in controversial fashion to Jose Argumedo before reclaiming the WBO belt in 2016 with a win over Riku Kano, who himself has just recently retired, who at the time was looking to become the youngest ever Japanese world champion.
Following his win over Kano we saw Takayama walk away from professional boxing as he attempted to qualify for the Tokyo Olympics in 2020, battling the Japanese Boxing Federation to allow professional fighters to return to amateur boxing. He failed in his Olympic ambitions, and made a return to the professional ranks, going 4-1 in his return, with those 5 bouts marking two notable achievements. In his second bout of his comeback he made his US debut, losing to Elwin Soto in 2021, before winning the IBO title in December 2024, in what has turned out to be his final professional bout.